Taking DAS training, but not enjoying it
Discussion
Afternoon all,
I'm a recent convert to motorcycling and i'm currently doing the training for Direct Access. I passed the theory, HP and CBT in November last year. I hated riding a 125, but completed the training and got a certificate.
I put the DAS training on hold over the winter due to the weather and I needed to consider if I really wanted to go the whole hog.
I resumed DAS training early April after choosing to take lessons rather than an intensive course, a decision I think was wise as I initially tried a two hour lesson and found the second hour tiring. I started to make silly mistakes that I didn't make in the first hour which knocked my confidence.
I've passed MOD1 test this week with one riding fault, but i'm really starting to question whether I should continue as crucially i'm not enjoying riding.
I'm finding it a real chore, particularly the amount of observations you have to do to ensure you avoid being being potted by careless drivers or other hazards.
But the main thing I have found is I'm not confident at riding at speed. I find riding at NSL stressful as i'm s
tting myself about something happening that I can't avoid in time and I have an accident. I find the faster I ride, the less confident I am.
I just wondered if anyone else has gone through this stage and doubted their ability/enjoyment of motorcycling and either quit or persisted and glad they did.
I'm a recent convert to motorcycling and i'm currently doing the training for Direct Access. I passed the theory, HP and CBT in November last year. I hated riding a 125, but completed the training and got a certificate.
I put the DAS training on hold over the winter due to the weather and I needed to consider if I really wanted to go the whole hog.
I resumed DAS training early April after choosing to take lessons rather than an intensive course, a decision I think was wise as I initially tried a two hour lesson and found the second hour tiring. I started to make silly mistakes that I didn't make in the first hour which knocked my confidence.
I've passed MOD1 test this week with one riding fault, but i'm really starting to question whether I should continue as crucially i'm not enjoying riding.
I'm finding it a real chore, particularly the amount of observations you have to do to ensure you avoid being being potted by careless drivers or other hazards.
But the main thing I have found is I'm not confident at riding at speed. I find riding at NSL stressful as i'm s
tting myself about something happening that I can't avoid in time and I have an accident. I find the faster I ride, the less confident I am. I just wondered if anyone else has gone through this stage and doubted their ability/enjoyment of motorcycling and either quit or persisted and glad they did.
Wow, thank you all for your advice and feedback, I didn't expect to get so many responses.
Sounds like fundamentally you are just to tense. Its easy to say and hard to do but relax and everything will be much nicer.
You are bang on there and it's been picked up by the instructor during the MOD1 training and the DT examiner. There's only been one lesson that I've felt totally with it, focused and full of energy and enthusiasm and I was bombing around with no hesitation and all the checks in the right places. I think the instructor must have thought I had taken something!
IMO you'll like it more with time in the saddle.
I agree, more time and more experience = more confidence and enjoyment
Observations should be about the same for driving a car as a bike! If you feel you are doing too many then I'd question how safe you are in a car.
Fair point there. I have to say I had neglected regular mirror checks in the car when driving down a straight single carriageway road, but since I've started the bike training I find i'm using them regularly. It helps to spot overtaking motorcyclists or emergency vehicles well in advance.
Comfort of riding at speed only comes from experience and potentially further training.
I agree. Counter-steering has helped my confidence in cornering as it feels much more stable.
I would suggest get you license then make the decision of where you want to take it? ( that is assuming you can afford that route)
The money isn't really an issue as it's an agreed price.
I say stick with it and speak to your instructor about your worries.
I have done, he's very patient and understanding.
I felt the same way. Riding was an enormous chore for well over a year, and I'd have to force myself to do it and was constantly stressed and tired by all of it- the s t, heavy clothes, the heat, everything.
That is spot-on how I feel about it at this stage. Add to that the claustrophobic feeling of wearing a crash helmet for the first time. It takes some getting used to.
Worth a go anyway. Good luck fella.
Thanks very much.
I hated DAS lessons, I hated mod 1, I never once would say I actually enjoyed a DAS lesson. I felt you tbh, fed up, loosing concentration and at times a little scared. I nearly gave up. TBF
This really chimes with my feelings ATM.
Perhaps you arent used to the sensation of speed on a bike, you after all are much more exposed than in a car.
This. I have been pillion on a mates bike and when he's opened up I felt the blood drain out my head and felt faint for the first few times, then your body acclimatises to the rush of acceleration and you really start to enjoy the rush.
The only thing I can relate to is the observations, you get it drummed into your head a bit by your instructor because it's important, but they'll quickly become second nature and you won't even realise you're doing them.
I'm impatient waiting for everything to become 'automatic' and second nature.
I'd be tempted to ask your instructor to take you on a "ride out" for an hour, i.e. not give you instructions and remind you of things every 15 seconds, but just ride with you on a quiet road and leave you to it a little bit, so you can try and relax and enjoy it.
TBF i'm at the stage where he's doing this now anyway. He's hardly giving me any feedback during the ride in the urban environment other than giving me directions as i'm getting it pretty much right now, occasionally I forget to do something but he knows I know I cocked up. I tend to be making mistakes when we go out on the NSL roads when i'm not getting up to the speed limit as quickly as I should or neglecting mirror checks as i'm trying to sus out the road and handling and feeling nervous about travelling at the NSL.
OP, it's hard, it's a new skill you are learning and you are not very good at it (yet).
This is very true.
All I can say is, keep at it, sooner or later the basic motor skills will click and you will then be able to apply more concentration to riding at speed, corner positioning and the more advanced skills. It's like learning to walk, it takes a while even for kids with their ability to learn new stuff mega fast, as adults it's a much longer process.
Again, a spot on comment and observation. Once the motor skills click it should be a lot less stressful.
Get out on the bike as often as you can, it will all start to gel of its own accord.
Saddle time is king.
Stick with it, with practice and experience it will get better and better
They say there's no substitute for experience.
Everyone has days that they don't enjoy training. I mostly enjoyed my DAS but there were some lessons where I found myself riding along thinking 'is this for me?'. Sometimes I just wasn't in the mood or I couldn't be arsed, and on days when I feel like that I don't take my bike out. When you're doing training, you're booker and committed to going along with the lessons in the planner.
Again, this totally chimes with my feelings at the moment.
It's not for everyone but you may as well get the test done seeing as you are this far. Getting up to NSL on certain roads is dangerous for sure so don't stress too much about being cautious. In short, give it time!
I know. I don't like not being good and confident at something that I want to crack.
Stress of failure? You don't need the licence so don't worry, take the test as many times as you need.
I've said this all along, but I hate failing at something, but in hindsight i know some of the best lessons I've learned have resulted from failure.
It's a shame that schools can't loan out 125's for like a month or something so you can go out and ride and just get used to it in your own time.
That would certainly help!
just do the mod two
Fair comment
you be surprised how much more you enjoy riding. when you aint got a know it all jabbering in your ear over the radio all the time
TBF my instructor is saying hardly anything at this stage (until we go out on a NSL road with twisties).
You are not alone OP
That's reassuring.
Rider fatigue may be part of it,
Fatigue and tiredness does tense you up
I think this is the underlying problem. I've been taking Phenergan (for sedation) each night to ensure I sleep all the way through the night as sleep has been a major issue of late. It does ensure I get 7 hours a night, but i'm sure it has a big effect on my ability to focus and think clearly and quickly at work, which also compounds the stress I feel during my lessons. I always book a lesson quite late in the day (3-4 pm) to allow it to wear off, but still feel that it's still affecting me.
I stopped taking it last night and binned them and I was back to 3 hours last night. Although I feel tired, my focus and attention is much improved. Luckily I work from home most of the time, so the only downside has been my work productivity in the mornings.
Good luck !
Thanks, I think I need it,
Do you have the right gear.
Yeah, got textile jacket and trousers with inbuilt protection in the right places. I've got a borrowed crash helmet and boots that fits me well, but I said I would treat myself to decent replacements once I've passed the MOD2 test.
I haven't booked any more lessons for the time being as I want to gather my thoughts on whether I want to continue or not, plus I must get sleep situation controlled as it's pointless (and dangerous) riding when i'm feeling tired.
Sounds like fundamentally you are just to tense. Its easy to say and hard to do but relax and everything will be much nicer.
You are bang on there and it's been picked up by the instructor during the MOD1 training and the DT examiner. There's only been one lesson that I've felt totally with it, focused and full of energy and enthusiasm and I was bombing around with no hesitation and all the checks in the right places. I think the instructor must have thought I had taken something!
IMO you'll like it more with time in the saddle.
I agree, more time and more experience = more confidence and enjoyment
Observations should be about the same for driving a car as a bike! If you feel you are doing too many then I'd question how safe you are in a car.
Fair point there. I have to say I had neglected regular mirror checks in the car when driving down a straight single carriageway road, but since I've started the bike training I find i'm using them regularly. It helps to spot overtaking motorcyclists or emergency vehicles well in advance.
Comfort of riding at speed only comes from experience and potentially further training.
I agree. Counter-steering has helped my confidence in cornering as it feels much more stable.
I would suggest get you license then make the decision of where you want to take it? ( that is assuming you can afford that route)
The money isn't really an issue as it's an agreed price.
I say stick with it and speak to your instructor about your worries.
I have done, he's very patient and understanding.
I felt the same way. Riding was an enormous chore for well over a year, and I'd have to force myself to do it and was constantly stressed and tired by all of it- the s t, heavy clothes, the heat, everything.
That is spot-on how I feel about it at this stage. Add to that the claustrophobic feeling of wearing a crash helmet for the first time. It takes some getting used to.
Worth a go anyway. Good luck fella.
Thanks very much.
I hated DAS lessons, I hated mod 1, I never once would say I actually enjoyed a DAS lesson. I felt you tbh, fed up, loosing concentration and at times a little scared. I nearly gave up. TBF
This really chimes with my feelings ATM.
Perhaps you arent used to the sensation of speed on a bike, you after all are much more exposed than in a car.
This. I have been pillion on a mates bike and when he's opened up I felt the blood drain out my head and felt faint for the first few times, then your body acclimatises to the rush of acceleration and you really start to enjoy the rush.
The only thing I can relate to is the observations, you get it drummed into your head a bit by your instructor because it's important, but they'll quickly become second nature and you won't even realise you're doing them.
I'm impatient waiting for everything to become 'automatic' and second nature.
I'd be tempted to ask your instructor to take you on a "ride out" for an hour, i.e. not give you instructions and remind you of things every 15 seconds, but just ride with you on a quiet road and leave you to it a little bit, so you can try and relax and enjoy it.
TBF i'm at the stage where he's doing this now anyway. He's hardly giving me any feedback during the ride in the urban environment other than giving me directions as i'm getting it pretty much right now, occasionally I forget to do something but he knows I know I cocked up. I tend to be making mistakes when we go out on the NSL roads when i'm not getting up to the speed limit as quickly as I should or neglecting mirror checks as i'm trying to sus out the road and handling and feeling nervous about travelling at the NSL.
OP, it's hard, it's a new skill you are learning and you are not very good at it (yet).
This is very true.
All I can say is, keep at it, sooner or later the basic motor skills will click and you will then be able to apply more concentration to riding at speed, corner positioning and the more advanced skills. It's like learning to walk, it takes a while even for kids with their ability to learn new stuff mega fast, as adults it's a much longer process.
Again, a spot on comment and observation. Once the motor skills click it should be a lot less stressful.
Get out on the bike as often as you can, it will all start to gel of its own accord.
Saddle time is king.
Stick with it, with practice and experience it will get better and better
They say there's no substitute for experience.
Everyone has days that they don't enjoy training. I mostly enjoyed my DAS but there were some lessons where I found myself riding along thinking 'is this for me?'. Sometimes I just wasn't in the mood or I couldn't be arsed, and on days when I feel like that I don't take my bike out. When you're doing training, you're booker and committed to going along with the lessons in the planner.
Again, this totally chimes with my feelings at the moment.
It's not for everyone but you may as well get the test done seeing as you are this far. Getting up to NSL on certain roads is dangerous for sure so don't stress too much about being cautious. In short, give it time!
I know. I don't like not being good and confident at something that I want to crack.
Stress of failure? You don't need the licence so don't worry, take the test as many times as you need.
I've said this all along, but I hate failing at something, but in hindsight i know some of the best lessons I've learned have resulted from failure.
It's a shame that schools can't loan out 125's for like a month or something so you can go out and ride and just get used to it in your own time.
That would certainly help!
just do the mod two
Fair comment
you be surprised how much more you enjoy riding. when you aint got a know it all jabbering in your ear over the radio all the time
TBF my instructor is saying hardly anything at this stage (until we go out on a NSL road with twisties).
You are not alone OP
That's reassuring.
Rider fatigue may be part of it,
Fatigue and tiredness does tense you up
I think this is the underlying problem. I've been taking Phenergan (for sedation) each night to ensure I sleep all the way through the night as sleep has been a major issue of late. It does ensure I get 7 hours a night, but i'm sure it has a big effect on my ability to focus and think clearly and quickly at work, which also compounds the stress I feel during my lessons. I always book a lesson quite late in the day (3-4 pm) to allow it to wear off, but still feel that it's still affecting me.
I stopped taking it last night and binned them and I was back to 3 hours last night. Although I feel tired, my focus and attention is much improved. Luckily I work from home most of the time, so the only downside has been my work productivity in the mornings.
Good luck !
Thanks, I think I need it,
Do you have the right gear.
Yeah, got textile jacket and trousers with inbuilt protection in the right places. I've got a borrowed crash helmet and boots that fits me well, but I said I would treat myself to decent replacements once I've passed the MOD2 test.
I haven't booked any more lessons for the time being as I want to gather my thoughts on whether I want to continue or not, plus I must get sleep situation controlled as it's pointless (and dangerous) riding when i'm feeling tired.
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